Mau-Mara-Serengeti

The Mau forest, Mara river basin and Serengeti plain - linking Kenya and Tanzania - make up some of the oldest and least disturbed natural environments on Earth. But they’re under threat like never before.

Why the Mau-Mara-Serengeti is so important

The Mau-Mara-Serengeti area is one of the oldest, most complex and least disturbed natural environments on Earth – barely changed in a million years.

The Mau forest is crucial as the source of no fewer than 12 rivers, including the Mara. It also acts like a natural water tank, storing rainwater in the wet season and gradually releasing it during the dry season. Its forests are also an important elephant nursery - where females give birth to their calves in relative shelter and safety.

The Mara river basin is rich, fertile and incredibly beautiful, with some of the biggest wildlife populations in Africa, as well as fascinating cultures and traditional ways of life.

The Serengeti National Park is possibly the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world, home to lots of Africa’s most iconic animals – you know the ones we mean: lions, leopards, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, gazelles and more.

But in recent decades the whole area has come under growing pressures from people – in the form of agriculture, industry, tourism, poaching and pollution.

"The wildebeest migration through Mau-Mara-Serengeti is a defining image of Africa and we’re committed to ensuring that it continues. This is a dynamic and complex landscape with many competing demands and so we have to take a multi-pronged approach. We’re working with local communities, other NGOs, the private sector, and the government to reach mutually agreed solutions. Of course that’s not easy, but the team on the ground are incredibly experienced and determined to succeed!"

Where the Mau-Mara-Serengeti is

In the heart of east Africa, the Mara river basin extends from the lush Mau forests in Kenya across northern Tanzania, all the way to the mouth of the river at Lake Victoria. On its way the river cuts across the Serengeti plains of Tanzania.

About the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

This amazing and huge place includes Kenya’s Mau forest (the biggest natural mountain forest left in east Africa), the basin of the Mara river (lifeblood of the region), and the Serengeti plain (famous grasslands crossing into Tanzania).

It’s the venue for one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife migrations. Each year hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle travel from the Serengeti up to Kenya’s Maasai Mara (and back again), feeding on the lush grass that springs up after seasonal rains.

We're keeping the Mara river flowing and healthy, protecting wildlife, tackling poaching, and helping local communities avoid conflict with the local wildlife.

African buffalo

African wild dogs

Zebras

Hippos

Challenges affecting the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

Human-wildlife conflict

Animals like elephants, lions and wildebeest need lots of space, and when farmland or homes disturb their traditional migration routes, some animals look elsewhere for food or land. People try to defend their homes and livelihoods, and both sides can be harmed.
We’re collaring elephants and lions to track their movements and use this information to help manage human wildlife conflict.

Challenges affecting the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

Community livelihoods and wellbeing

We aim to balance environmental protection with social and economic development. We support community-owned and run conservancies – to help local people sustainably manage their wildlife so they can get long term benefits from it. Conservancies can also attract many visitors, creating much-needed jobs and income for local people.
In Kenya’s Mau forest we’ve helped introduce more effective charcoal kilns, which reduce the amount of wood used. We also help local people become more involved in managing their forests.

Challenges affecting the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

Spatial planning

In recent decades illegal logging, charcoal production and conversion of land for tea-growing and cattle-grazing have reduced the Mau forest severely – which increases the likelihood of soil erosion, flash floods and silted rivers.
Throughout the Mau-Mara-Serengeti, a variety of land-uses threaten the sustainability of this unique landscape. We want to see better planning so that the environment is used in a more efficient, equitable and sustainable way, now and in the future.

Challenges affecting the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

Protecting rivers and wetlands

The Mara river is under huge pressure – water levels and quality have changed dramatically over recent decades because of agriculture, industrial activity, population growth and tourism. Bad news for the people and wildlife that rely on the healthy flow of the river. And climate change is making the problems worse.
Our work along the Mara river, supported by the HSBC Water Programme, includes protecting riverbanks to help reduce sediment, pesticides and other pollutants entering the river. We work with local farmers and other businesses to help improve water management.

Challenges affecting the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

Illegal wildlife trade

Elephants and rhinos are particularly at risk, poached for their tusks or horns – especially since there’s been a boom in demand from south-east Asia in recent years.
We work with rangers out in the field to protect wildlife from poachers, and use radio collars and microchips to monitor animals. DNA profiling is also being introduced to create a genetic database for black rhinos in Kenya, so illegal horn can be traced back to its source.

Environments in the Mau-Mara-Serengeti

Elephant protection increased by landmark law in Kenya

After 15 years of persuasive work by us and several partners, the Kenyan government passed landmark legislation to crack down on wildlife crime – including elephant poaching. The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act came into force in January 2014, and includes stiffer penalties for anyone involved in wildlife crimes. People convicted now face fines of about £140,000 or life imprisonment – making Kenya’s act the strongest in Africa.